A SQUARE-JAWED superhero clad in a purple cape - and without a bowler hat - has been unveiled by the Orange Lodge to win a new generation of supporters.
The rebranding was prompted by the realisation the organisation's image - middle-aged men in navy-blue suits and white gloves - did not appeal to the "PlayStation generation".
Now Scotland's 20,000 Orange Lodge members have been asked to name the
superhero. He is appearing on the order's Christmas cards,dubbed "Santa's Little Helper", and features in children's pop-up books on the history of Orangeism. There are also plans to use him as a logo on pencils and erasers.
However, his superpowers have not yet been revealed.
Ian Wilson, the grand master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland, said the character was an attempt to capture young people's imaginations. "We know we've got to move with the times to retain our young membership," he said. "We might even have to enter the blogosphere and get into computer games with our superhero.
"We face the same problems as any other youth organisations, such as the Boys' Brigade or the Scouts, in appealing to youngsters once they hit puberty. We organise summer camps for children and they have a dedicated 'Orange Pips' page in our Orange Torch magazine.
"But I'm highly amused by the superhero idea, and I'm sure the idea that someone is flying around resolving problems would appeal to the young."
Wearing a skintight orange jumpsuit, the character was the brainchild of the Orange Lodge in Ireland. David Hume, the order's director of services in Ireland, said the logo was intended to make the organisation "appear less stuffy".
He said: "We usually have comic Christmas cards every year, so we decided to ask a graphic artist to come up with something new."
A spokesman for the Orange Lodge added: "There are 100,000 members of the Orange Order across the world. King Billy has always been the hero of the Orange Order, but times are changing.
"But the whole thing is just a bit of fun to try and improve the order's image and make it more attractive to younger members. We would be delighted if one of the members from Scotland could come up with a name."
In recent years, the order has moved to modernise its image in Scotland. Mr Wilson last night confirmed that a lunch date with Archbishop Mario Conti, one of Scotland's most prominent Catholics, was "on the cards". They have met twice before at official functions, including an anti-sectarian summit organised by Jack McConnell, the former first minister.
Peter Kearney, a spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland, said: "It is entirely up to the Orange Order how they promote their interests, using a superhero or not.
"The Catholic Church has had some contact recently with the Orange Order in Scotland, and Ian Wilson has, in our recent experience, been constructive and keen to engage.
"Protestantism and the Reformation are an important part of Scottish history, and rather than leave it to individual groups to promote, we would rather it was on the national history curriculum."
Roots of movement lie in a clash of religionsTHE Orange Order dates from the 17th-century battles for supremacy between Protestantism and Catholicism.
William of Orange led the fight against Catholic King James. He took the throne in England and celebrated his final victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.
The Orange Order - which has members worldwide - sees itself as a defender of civil and religious liberties.
At the heart of the movement is the right to parade.
The full article contains 604 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
